Kairuki challenges entrepreneurs to benefit from government budgetary interventions

Dar es Salaam. The government has asked entrepreneurs to read the 2019/20 budget tabled in Parliament last week in order to benefit with opportunities created through interventions made.

The minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Investment, Ms Angellah Kairuki made the call on Monday, June 17, 2019 during the women entrepreneurs meeting organized by the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF).

Launching the meeting, Ms Kairuki said the government has scrapping over 54 levies during the coming fiscal year, challenging them to discover opportunities created and reap the benefits.

“Look budget experts who can translate issues contained in the budget in a simple language. Better understanding and tapping opportunities will realize your dream to create 20 women billionaires out of 100 promised by President John Magufuli,” she said.

Speaking during his meeting with traders from every district in the country, President Magufuli expressed his dream to create 100 billionaires reaching 2025 as will be ending his term in office.

She said the 2019/20 budget intended to stimulate business activities, noting that implementation of the blueprint that will commence in July this year will address many challenges which will ultimately improve the country’s environment of doing business.

“We will also address challenges facing Tanzanians engaged in cross border trade. Our aim is to take the country to double digits from 144 position currently ranked by the World Bank, Easy of Doing Business report 2019,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the TPSF chairman, Mr Salum Shamte, the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce for Industries and Agriculture (TCCIA) President, Mr Octavian Mshiu said TPSF women entrepreneurs will be educated to address business challenges including those recorded at the border.

The representative of the women producers in the TPSF board, Ms Fatma Kange said the purpose was to create a single platforms for addressing challenges facing women entrepreneurs and set strategies for creating 20 women billionaires by 2025.

Speaking during the event, Kigoma Business Women Association chairperson, Ms Doroth Takwe said traders who don’t have permanent passports are supposed to pat Sh20,000 every time they want to cross the border in order to validate their temporary documents.

For her part, the Voice of Women Entrepreneur Association president, Ms Maida Waziri said hardship in business formalization, unfriendly policies and lack of educations remained huge challenges for women business entrepreneur in the country.